Chapter 15 : Who’s showing off? It’s so irritating!
[Rushing water poured from above in endless waves]
Splish splash splish splash.
“Mmm mmm mmm.”
Qianyu squatted on a sturdy rock, humming nonsense.
Watching the girl far off, bent over washing.
“So my purpose here is—”
What exactly.
She didn’t know how to answer her own lonely confusion.
Openly “peeking” at a girl bathing.
At first Qianyu had no plan to wash her.
Just wanted her cleaner—simple.
But later realized Xingyao’s state—hard to self-care, patient-level.
Her request might become burden, impossible task.
So naturally turned to helping—
“Hope she doesn’t find it too forward, get annoyed, distance herself.”
(Thinking carefully, either way selfish.)
Ignoring Qianyu’s anxious thoughts and mutters.
Xingyao used magic to control water, forming rising columns around her.
Under convenient no-touch conditions, rinsing grime and bruises.
Busy on her own.
“But…”
What was she hesitating over earlier. Didn’t seem simple shyness.
*
Unexpectedly, the mysterious answer soon revealed.
From afar, Qianyu vaguely sensed Xingyao’s half-submerged body changing oddly.
Under continuous water force,
her originally pale, shriveled skin, like old peeling house walls.
Shed countless tiny “scales” and dust fragments drifting in wind.
Under midday sun, reflecting striking glints.
Fragments slowly fell into river, merging.
Gradually, calm surface turned rippling, sparkling.
Beautiful, unique, innate scenery stunned Qianyu.
“Xingyao? Your body…”
Snapping back, concern spilled out.
Good omen or bad—her safety first.
“—”
Unlike panicked Qianyu, she stayed unnaturally calm.
Relaxed, as if expecting the change.
She slowly shifted legs in water, bare feet on mud.
Pushed through waves to Qianyu.
Somehow, Qianyu felt she wanted to share this change—
and her heart’s emotions.
“You’re okay, right.”
A nod affirmed.
Qianyu decided no more questions, eased mind,
silently watched the reacting body.
Xingyao didn’t avoid, eyes met.
This moment, perhaps no words needed for understanding.
In a blink, about half minute.
Body fragments shed unevenly.
Skin and muscle replaced by varied color patches.
Her appearance turned hideous.
Further from human. Even uncanny valley.
(Like a peeling doll, creepy.)
“Crack!”
Seemed limit reached.
Falling fragments or long water rush.
A crisp sound—gap opened at Xingyao’s forehead.
“Crack crack crack crack.”
In seconds, gap widened, extended down:
face, chest, abdomen, hips, thighs, calves to ankles.
Dazzling white light seeped from cracks.
Her own body in near-emergency abnormality.
—
It’s okay.
Yet Xingyao had leisure to comfort clueless Qianyu,
one hand in V-sign.
Next second.
Canyon exploded in flash covering both peaks.
Creatures sunbathing, resting—scattered fleeing.
—
Close your eyes.
Before that, Qianyu obeyed the voice from nowhere.
Hurriedly shielded front with arm, avoiding temporary blindness.
Even so, like eating a flashbang in FPS.
Vision fully engulfed in white, no escape.
“Damn, can’t see. X-Xingyao!”
—
I’m here.
“Eh?”
Worried, Qianyu rubbed eyes roughly,
hoping vision recover fast.
Never expected response so soon.
And her response changed.
No longer words on skin—
—
Master, are you unwell anywhere?
Ethereal, clear, with lingering echo.
Carrying clear emotion, tone influenced by feeling.
Xingyao’s “voice” rang in Qianyu’s mind, to her heart.
“Could this be hallucination. I think I heard…”
—
Not hallucination.
—
You can open eyes now.
(Should… trust, right.)
Qianyu thought, slowly testing white light gone.
Dared open eyes, move arm from forehead:
Vision not fully recovered,
swaying dizzy, like unfocused camera.
Hazy blur.
In daze, a figure swaying in wind ahead.
“Phew, scared me. Good you’re okay—”
Relieved Qianyu jumped in water, chased toward Xingyao.
Distance closed, expression grew puzzled.
Until face-to-face, Qianyu finally saw the figure:
Slightly raised meager chest.
Pink-white buds like peach branch tips.
(Don’t ask why noticed first—auto-target off.)
Slightly shorter, about 1.5m.
Cute baby-face, delicate features,
yet lips pursed in pitiful look.
Skin tender as newborn, blow-to-break.
Slender limbs no muscle. Straight body lines.
Except hair,
no body hair anywhere, including there.
Speaking of hair—
Straight-cut bangs like hime style,
smooth silky, no knots, waist-length waterfall.
Like octopus tentacles slowly floating on water.
Color—
Qianyu first thought pure black like hers.
Closer look—deep navy between.
Also, hair scattered with hundreds, thousands
tiny glitter-like particles, faintly visible.
Weird metaphor, Qianyu admitted seeing them:
instantly thought—
galaxy.
Exaggerated, crude—her hair like all-encompassing starry system.
…
No, set aside irrelevant aesthetic.
She came for more important existence.
“You are… who?”
No relation to Xingyao,
not even slight resemblance,
a girl appeared.